The Rockies will offer some hustle and some fight, but they'll be overmatched.

My National League Comeback Player of the Year? Todd Helton. The key player for the Colorado Rockies? Todd Helton. He is such a professional hitter. He is such a good player to have on a team. He's good in the clubhouse. He's outstanding at first base. Helton makes a difference, but he isn't the player he once was. Not close. But there's also Troy Tulowitzki. He could also be the Comeback Player of the Year. He really came back with a vengeance.

The Rockies have a nice mixture of players that can hit for average and players that can hit with power. Together, the team has a balance and a drive that allows them to play above their ability. They have exceeded their potential. Why?

Jim Tracy. Jim Tracy has made a tremendous difference as the Manager of the Colorado Rockies. What has he done? Initially he gave players an opportunity to show their strengths. He was learning his club. Then he settled on a starting eight players. He sent the best players out each and every day. He wanted to win. He chose the players that gave him the best chance to win. He played the hot hand. He allowed his pitchers to go deep in to games. He had a slow hook. He required hustle. He benched Garrett Atkins. He benched Chris Iannetta. He played Ian Stewart and Yorvit Torrealba. He stuck with the defense of Clint Barmes at second base even though Barmes struggled to hit on the road. He stuck with Brad Hawpe in the outfield even though he, too, struggled to hit on the road. He played his best players. Period. Tracy showed the difference a Manager can make. Where would the Rockies be today without the change in Manager from Clint Hurdle to Jim Tracy? This is the rare case where a Manager really did mean the difference between winning and losing.

The Rockies play much better at home. They hit better and they score more runs in Colorado, regardless of the humidor. That trend should likely continue in the Playoffs. If they had Home Field Advantage they would be more dangerous. They don't and they aren't.

To this day, late in his career, Todd Helton is a lethal hitter. He can hit the gaps or hit the ball out of the park. He can drive in runs. He gets the sacrifice fly when needed. He just knows how to play the game. He's a very good defender at first base. Barmes is outstanding at second. He makes the plays. He hits in streaks, but his defense saves runs. Troy Tulowitzki had an outstanding Comeback year.. He had a miserable 2008 and he dedicated himself to regaining his hitting stroke. He has done just that. Down the stretch, Tulow hit with power and strength. There was a time when he was hitting a homer every day. His defense has always been stellar. He has a cannon for an arm. He and Barmes are way above Major League Average on defense up the middle. Tulowitzki, Helton and Hawpe are a formidable trio in the lineup for the Rocks. Ian Stewart is a streaky power hitter and a good defensive third baseman. He has that sneaky type power that shows up when it isn?t expected. He's one smart hitter. If he sees a chance to beat out a bunt, he'll take that chance. If he can take a pitch the other way, he'll do it. I believe Stewart is a 25- homer guy from this point of his career on as long as he plays in Colorado. Stewart has made Garrett Atkins expendable. The infield can hit and play defense. There are no real weaknesses.

The outfield depends upon the opposing pitcher. Brad Hawpe is pretty much a constant in right field. He will struggle against the toughest lefties like Clayton Kershaw. He?ll rake against righties. Hawpe has a gun for an arm and in general, hitters won?t try to take the extra base. But I don't think his overall outfield play will help the Rockies on the road. The remainder of the outfield is pretty much match-up dependent. Mix with Carlos Gonzalez, Ryan Spilborghs, Dexter Fowler and Seth Smith. They can all play. They can all hit. Gonzalez has been the focal point of trades that have involved Arizona and Oakland. He has very surprising gap power to both left and right center. He gets outstanding loft on the ball and he can run. Spilborghs can also hit the gap, only from the right side of the plate where Gonzalez is a left-handed hitter. Seth Smith hits left-handed and hits well. He can drive in runs and make good contact. Fowler is a switch hitter. The outfield is a major plus for the Rockies. They hit, run, play defense and throw out runners.

The pitching is a real plus. They have been selected to be on the club because they can pitch in the hitter-friendly Coors Field. For the Rocks to be successful at home, they have to keep the ball down. Or strike out hitters. To me, the new ace is righty Ubaldo Jimenez. He has electric stuff. If his command is on, he's very tough to hit. He comes at hitters with sinking 96-98 MPH fastballs and outstanding secondary pitches. He's awesome when
he's on. He'll get the ball in game one. Follow that with sinkerball pitcher Dennis Cook, lefty Jorge De La Rosa if he's healthy, and righty Jason Marquis and you have a very good starting staff. They can pitch in any order. They can win at home. They are known to struggle on the road.

The Rocks have been bolstered by the addition of Raffy Betancourt to the bullpen. He is very slow and methodical, but he gets hitters out with a good slider and sinker. He fits in Colorado and can set-up closer Huston Street. Lefty Franklin Morales helps out in the pen and has closed when Street was injured. The pen might be the Achilles heel of the club. I don?t know how much Joe Beimel offers, but he'll be there. I wouldn't count on him giving the team much in the clutch. Jason Hammel may work out of the pen as a righty specialist. The starters have to really get themselves out of jams. Tracy will stick with them, but they have to help themselves.

The Rockies can give some teams fits. They hit for average, run and hit for some power with Hawpe and to a degree, Helton. But more than often, they win with longer rallies that include doubles, bases on balls and base hits. Their pitchers are good, not great. They can't match the pitching of the Cardinals or the Phillies for that matter. Maybe the Dodgers. Maybe.

The Rockies are a scrappy bunch of hungry players motivated by an outstanding Manager who knows his personnel.

I see the Rockies fighting hard but being beaten by the Phillies in the Division Series in Philly.